College Affordability at the DNCC

[Ed.'s note-- this piece is part of a series on youth perspectives on the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Daniel Harwell is a Elon University student attending the DNCC with The Washington Center.]

As the week of the Democratic National Convention approaches, we are hearing a lot about foreign policy, the economy, and high gas prices but where are the issues that are facing the youth? Let's face it… Barack would not be the nominee without the hard work of a lot of youth-- plus their votes. In the past the youth vote has been ignored, but this year has to be different.

If Obama and the Democratic party-- or McCain and the Republican party-- remain silent during the convention about youth issues, especially the high cost of a college education, then they can say goodbye to a lot of important races this year.

You might be asking, why the cost of college education? There are certainly a plethora of youth issues that either candidate could hit on from health care to the environment, but if you look at high college tuition in a broader picture things become more interesting. Sure, high tuition prices is an issue we all know about, but what if you think about it in terms of the economy?

What if a candidate were to create a program for more financial and merit based aid and then tied that program into their economic policy? They could jumpstart the economy and kill two birds with one stone. Certainly you would hear college students across the country rejoice, but as part of a larger economic package a college affordability program might hit home with parents too. This year is the turning point where the youth vote will become essential, so the candidates must hit on our issues.

--Daniel Harwell
Elon University '11

A Matter of Decimal Points

College students, rejoice! The senate voted this morning to approve The Higher Education Access Act, a extensive bill that will increase the size of current Pell Grants to $4,310, and up them again to $5,400 in 2011. The bill will also take stress off of college graduates trying to pay off their student loans by creating a system of "income based repayment" which sets loan payments at a "manageable" percentage of a recent grad's income. It will also increase the amount of federal aid that working students can receive, and raise the income level under which a student is automatically qualified for a Pell Grant.

Of course, student aid money doesn't appear out of thin air. The Senate bill paid for the increases in aid by cutting subsidies to lending firms that provide federally guaranteed loans to students by a whopping, massive... 0.5%. To some, this cut seemed excessive, so an amendment was attached to the bill cutting that cut to 0.35%. The rationale apparently being that the 0.5% cut would do "irreparable, significant harm to the public-private FFEL program which 8 out of 10 institutions of higher education rely on," and a 0.35% cut wouldn't. Now, I'm neither a mathematician or an accountant, but I feel like a change in 0.15 percentage points isn't worth threatening the life of such an important bill.

The bill transcended this parliamentarian snare and went on to win by a vote of 78-18, with the aforementioned amendment going down 36-61.

In this author's humble opinion, the bill is a success in the effort to make college affordable for everyone, if a relatively modest one, and I'm encouraged to see that the Senate sided with American students over big banks and loan lenders. For now.

Can You Put a Price on Education?

According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, while more and more Americans are recognizing the value of a college education in today's workforce, an increasing number are fearful that prices may become prohibitively high, preventing qualified students from getting the education they deserve.

Their report, titled, "Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today," found that half of Americans believe that a college education is "necessary for success in the workplace," a record high, and up from 31% in 2000. At the same time, 62% believe that many qualified students won't have the opportunity to go to college, up a whopping 17 points from 45% in 1998.

Respondents in the report's poll blamed the colleges themselves for wasteful spending and bloated programs that don't improve the quality of education. "'The public may voice satisfaction with the education that colleges and universities deliver, but there is evidence that this satisfaction with the system as a whole is beginning to erode.' says Patrick M. Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education."

Invoking the American dream, Callan continued, "There is a growing concern that some colleges and universities may no longer reflect what the American public has valued most about higher education: a commitment to opportunity and quality for young people."